New World Notes

Avatars Against Trump: Climate Change Protest Edition

Since every climate change march needs a fashionable protester with an evening dress and a robot arm, AllesIst Klaar submitted this striking image, accompanied by her heavily footnoted blog post. (She actually submitted this to the Flickr feed last week, but given recent news, seems like months ago.)

More Avatars Against Trump pics here -- submit your own image or video here. Maybe we'll see some impeachment-themed submissions soon?

Second Life Avatar of Obama Depicted at Age 63 at End of Trump's 2nd Term

Second Life avatar photographer Flight of Osiris created this striking portrait of Barack Obama's avatar in Second Life, but six years from now. "[I] thought if Donald Trump finishes two terms as president then Obama would be 63 at the time and I assumed would be brow beaten having seen his legislation accomplishments undone," Osiris explains.

While there are several avatar mesh heads of Obama for Second Life, they depict him as he was when he was President. "[I] used layers and a few filters to give him more wrinkles," says Osiris, "a bit more shadowing round the eyes and some shine on the head to make his hair appear whiter, plus black and white images have a vintage quality to them, so people naturally appear older."

The portrait's title, as you might have guessed, is "Good Luck America":

Eye-Controlled Robot Enables Homebound Paralyzed People to Become Real Life Avatars Outside -- Even Work in Coffee Shops

This is pretty fascinating with profound implications down the road:

Developed by Ory, a startup that specializes in robotics for disabled people, the OriHime-D is a 4-foot tall robot that can be operated remotely from a paralyzed person’s home. Even if the operator only has control of their eyes, they can command OriHime-D to move, look around, speak with people, and handle objects... a staff of ten people, with conditions such as ALS or spinal cord injuries and working from home, are paid 1,000 yen (US$8.80) an hour (a standard wage for part-time work in Japan) to serve up coffee and interact with the clientele. But more importantly than money, these people are also given a newfound independence.

More here. It's partly inspired by Time of Eve, an anime which portrays robots and humans working alongside each other -- and the filmmakers collaborated on the project so that the robot server resembles the one in their movie. Video below:

Avatars Against Trump: Election Day Edition

This from Koi Madzuko, who adds this:

Eligible Voters 2016: 250,056,000 (estimated)

Votes Cast 2016: 138,847,000 (estimated)

This time, show up!

Yes. Far as avatars are concerned (and this is probably #452 on the list of currently bad things), here's a list of all the Senators who voted to approve Ajit Pai, the FCC chairman who has been adamantly working to gut net neutrality, which experts like Philip Rosedale have warned poses a dire threat to the future of social VR and virtual worlds. Just yesterday the Supreme Court let stand the Obama-era regulation, but telecoms which support its repeal are already calling on Congress to pass new laws to undermine it. In other words, vote.

More Avatars Against Trump pics here -- submit your own image or video here. 

Avatars Against Trump: Disgorging Trump Bots at Second LIfe's Burning Man

Alex Avion submitted this rather brilliant Avatars Against Trump image to the Flickr group, illustrating the tendency of Trump supporters to robotically repeat his catchphrases -- or if you prefer, the tendency of many or even most of his supporters online to be actual bots. (For instance, about 60 percent of the conversation on Twitter around Trump's rants about the Latin American migrant "caravan" last week were bots, much of that likely emanating from Russia.) 

The installation is now being showcased on Burn 2, Second Life's official Burning Man event, -- i.e., it's sanctioned by the actual Burning Man organization. Avion's photo doesn't quite show it, but the bots are wielding tiki torches, the same kind wielded by Trump's openly racist supporters -- another smart touch.

More Avatars Against Trump pics here -- submit your own image or video here. As for this Burning Man installation, click here to teleport to it. I just did, and took a pic of my own -- see below!

Casja's Choices: Second Life Artists Create Imagery Protesting Trump's Separation of Refugee Families

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Here’s submissions to the Families Belong Together challenge, in which virtual world artists sought to convey through 3D imagery the horror and outrage of the Trump Administration’s policy separating migrant parents seeking asylum from their children. In the weeks since the challenge was announced, a court order has required reuniting these families, but hundreds remain separate, perhaps permanently.

I am moved by Whiskey Monday’s “The End of the Road” [above] with the many hands reaching for the children’s toys. I was curious when she asked on Plurk for folks to share any toys they may have. Knowing Whiskey, I knew it would be a picture that tells the story on many levels. The children are unseen, hidden in the dark, reflecting how they were transported under cover of darkness, whisked out of state to be secreted beyond their parents’ reach.There is this black wall with little holes through which the children reach for their stolen childhood, represented by the toys out of reach. Among the toys, an infant’s bottle, reminding us how very fragile and young these children are.

Angry About Trump Separating Refugee Families? Express Your Protest Through Virtual World Images for Cajsa's Next Column

NWN columnist Cajsa Lilliehook, who co-launched the Avatars Against Trump group on Flickr which was featured on Rolling Stone, is seeking virtual world/MMO art in protest of the Trump Administration's ongoing abuse of refugee families. (Trump's recent executive order does nothing to reunite the thousands of children already separated from their family.) 

To submit an image around this ongoing crisis, upload it to Flickr and hashtag it #FamiliesBelongTogetherSL.

For inspiration, here's one of the submissions, by Saffron Foxclaw:

Politically Opposed Second Life Neighbors Wage Left vs. Right War of Virtual Billboards Outside Their Virtual Homes

Second Life user and left wing activist Pussycat Catnap logged into SL one day to discover someone had moved into the virtual house next to hers, and had covered their new home with politically provocative billboards.

"Alt-right neighbor," as she reported on the Avatars Against Trump Flickr group. "New neighbor moved in, put up all kinds of Libertarian alt-right junk... So I put up some notes about his Nazi heroes Rand Paul and Ann Rand [sic]."

Above, Ms. Catnap's response can be seen at left (heh) - close-up below:

Avatars Against Trump: Hiding Like a Groundhog from Bob Mueller

This contribution to the Avatars Against Trump Flickr pool comes from Kerri Fegte, who puts the putative POTUS in the position of being a groundhog, hiding from the investigation led by Robert Mueller, depicted here as a snow man for some reason. "He saw Bob's shadow," Kerri explains, "and is now digging in for 6 more weeks before indictments. Happy Groundhog Day!"

Click here to see the full image which be warned, is decidedly very much not safe for work viewing. Then again, it's still much less pornographic than an illustrated version of the Steele dossier or a Stormy Daniels interview.

More Avatars Against Trump pics here -- submit your own image or video here. 

Avatars Against Trump: 2018 Women's March Tribute by Second Lifers Who Couldn't Attend IRL

Millions attended the Women's March last weekend across the country, but not everyone who wanted to attend was near a protest site, or able to take time off from work, or had adequate transportation, or any number or reasons they had to bow out.

"I am not close enough to a march site and I know many others that might live in rural areas, etc also can't participate," as Kirsten Corleone puts it. "So, as I do, I wanted to show my support in SL and I got some friends to join me!" Depicted from left to right: